Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2001-05-02-Speech-3-154"
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"en.20010502.10.3-154"2
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"Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, thank you very much for the debate. I believe it is important that we remember the event in Chernobyl 15 years ago, and you have yourselves provided testimony to the ways in which this affects us even today and in our Member States too.
We should like to be able to debate energy policy, but I believe we should avoid that today and instead concentrate on the subjects of how we can improve nuclear safety in the applicant States and, of course, of how we are to continue to cooperate with Ukraine and Russia. These issues also illustrate the nature and character of the environmental problems. They acknowledge no national borders, but follow a river or prevailing wind, something for which we are still paying a high price today.
I have received a number of questions, which I shall try to answer, but I should perhaps say first of all that I hope that Parliament can take the time to deal with the communication on which the Commission decided in September of last year and which concerns the Commission’s support for improved nuclear safety in the applicant States. In this, the Commission explains its view of how these issues must be worked with, that is to say that both short- and long-term approaches are required.
In the short term, it has been a question of getting a number of applicant States to close down the old-fashioned Chernobyl-style reactors they use. We have tried to encourage the applicant States to submit concrete timetables for doing that. These must then be followed up in order to ensure that they are really being implemented. Naturally, Members of Parliament know as well as we do that we do not have competence in this area to force either the Member States or the applicant States to do anything. We must try to work with them through a variety of agreements, through sound cooperation and also by means of support in many different forms. We are concerned here with everything from education to financial support for upgrading safety.
I have been asked what standards are applied. As you know, we have no special European standards, but we say that
must be complied with. What does that mean? Over the years, the EU’s Member States have developed a safety standard which we should also like to see the applicant States being able to comply with. There is now also a working party in the Council which compares those standards that exist in the applicant States with those that exist in the EU countries, identifying those shortcomings and differences that exist so that it will be possible to overcome these and upgrade security in the applicant States. The IAEA’s standards form the basis, of course, but these are so general that they require ‘practical application’.
We do, Mrs Schörling, in fact also have agreements to close the most dangerous nuclear power stations of all – Kozloduy, Ignalina and Bohunice – and to ensure that the safety of the remaining reactors is upgraded so that we obtain an acceptable standard.
I believe that we have explained fairly well in this communication from the Commission how we view these issues, but we can perfectly well use this day and this opportunity to reflect upon the vulnerability of even the very most modern nuclear technology and nuclear power used. We are still vulnerable, and we still have a problem with waste. You probably know where I stand when it comes to the use of nuclear power but, even though I am critical of this, I believe that the research into safety issues must continue. That is incredibly important, I believe.
In this area, we cannot decide over the heads of the Member States or against their will. We must cooperate with the Member States on these issues and do all we can, because we share the same environment and are all exposed to risks if we live with unacceptable safety levels. Above all, I agree with what one MEP pointed out, to the effect that we must remember the children and make sure we do everything in order also to help and support those children who still have to pay the price for the dreadful tragedy of Chernobyl. Thank you for the debate."@en1
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"European Union Practices"1
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